1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to video capture and presentation. More particularly, the present invention relates to video capture and presentation for three-dimensional video.
2. Background Art
Three-dimensional video presentation is experiencing a revival of interest from the movie industry, the video game industry, and general consumers. Increasingly, movie theaters and television broadcasters are offering three-dimensional presentations to provide enhanced immersion for consumers. At the same time, the industry has not yet settled on three-dimensional capture, processing and presentation standards, resulting in multiple, incompatible solutions that are each tailored to specific applications. Additionally, three-dimensional video materials are generally optimized and encoded with a specific targeted rendering environment, such as a movie theater, a presentation stage, or a television set. As a result, producing video materials for three-dimensional presentations often involves significant additional expenses and scheduling to accommodate three-dimensional post-production workflows for specific applications and for specific underlying solutions. Furthermore, customization of three-dimensional effects is limited and playback with existing systems is not possible. These combined factors are delaying retail release schedules and slowing down consumer adoption of three-dimensional video, consequently preventing consumers from adopting three-dimensional presentation technology at their own preferred pace and viewing preferences. Finally, in a digital world where consumers are increasingly in control of their own devices and their own experiences, there is no present three-dimensional solution that allows consumers to vary the three-dimensional effects to their liking.
Accordingly, there is a need to overcome the drawbacks and deficiencies in the art by providing a three-dimensional video capture workflow that avoids the restrictions inherent in tailoring to a specific end application.